Superman
by Magpie's Lament
Summary: When Robin fails to save someone, he is absolutely shattered. Can Starfire console him? Short songfic to Superman, by Five for Fighting. StarxRob, if you can't already tell. First attempt at pairing.


I've always been a BbxRae shipper at the core, so I never really got into StarxRob fiction. This is my first attempt at contact with that shipdom. This came to me one night, and it really wasn't the sort of thought process BB would have. I also considered placing Cyborg in this place, and he fit, but I would have had to make him a little OOC.

In other news- I lost, like, the entire three pages of Black Magick in an unexpected freezeup. Don't expect it for awhile.

The song is, of course, Superman, by Five for Fighting. I really love them.

Flames leaped high in and out of the windows of the apartment complex at 831 North Fairview avenue. The Titans were there, naturally, assisting trapped people out of the burning structure. Raven darted in and out where she could, her face and legs smeared with ash, levitating out a child or a terrified man. Only her hands were absolutely clean; the dark power that almost constantly gloved them kept away the carbon.

Beast Boy was a pterodactyl, assisting Cyborg, who was atop the roof, directing people into the changeling's knowing talons. Starfire was busy creating a firebreak to stop the blaze from spreading, and Robin…. Well….

The yellow tip of a birdarang hooked into the crumbling mortar between two bricks, and Robin dashed up the side of the building, swinging himself with the agility of a monkey into the flaming room. Only a few floorboards were usable, crossing the room to three tiny children, huddled next to a recliner. Their faces were nearly black with soot, and dark flecks littered their hair. Two were blond, however one had the wildest red hair he had ever seen, and with eyes that blazed like the summer sky beneath her unruly bangs. She shoved the other two towards him, and he realized with a shock that he could only carry them.

He started to speak, but the floorboards snapped beneath him. The redhead immeadiately lunged forwards into his stomach, tigerlike in appearance. Robin teetered for a moment beneath the weight of the two first graders, then fell out the window. He instinctively relaxed his muscles, trying to ignore the child who was gripping his shoulders as if they were his last hope.

Robin knew that they were.

His hand shot to his belt, and he fired another birdarang, then began to run along the building's crumbling wall. He allowed the small tool to drag downwards, skipping over portions of brick, and hoped that the tool would catch the next time.

As they reached the end of the wall, Robin switched hands. He shifted the weight of the toddler on his elbow and swung outwards. A jet of flame burst behind them, licking the steel cord of the birdarang as he whirled and ran the opposite way. At last, he touched ground, allowing the exhilirated children to run to the arms of her parents.

All through this, Robin's mind was working on autopilot.

But now….

Images of that heroic, wild-eyed girl flashed through his mind. With a rare sob, he collapsed into knowing arms.

"Robin…? What is wrong?"

**I can't stand to fly  
I'm not that naive  
I'm just out to find  
The better part of me **

"Starfire… I let her die… I couldn't, we all would have…"

His words were constantly broken by wracking sobs. Starfire pressed him to her lightly, allowed him to bury his head in her shoulder and stutter and drool and sob.

**I'm more than a bird…I'm more than a plane**

Robin recoiled at her touch. He was a leader, he wasn't supposed to cry. He was supposed to lead. He couldn't have any regret. For a moment, he sympathized with Raven, then instantly put all thoughts of the girl out of his head. There was more work to be done.

More than some pretty face beside a train

As they continued to evacuate the building, Robin's mind was half elsewhere.

It's not easy to be me

She had given her life, one hardly started, to save others. That was the ultimate gift.

Later, they arrived back at Titans' Tower. Robin instantly came out of his stupor and collapsed onto the couch. Starfire sat beside him. The others, taking an unspoken cue, left the room to persue other things.

**Wish that I could cry  
Fall upon my knees**

Robin struggled to hold back tears that were brimming over his pale eyelids. He couldn't cry. Not in front of Starfire. On Tameran, he recalled, those who cried were not considered warriors. Or something like that.**  
Find a way to lie  
About a home I'll never see **

Wave after wave of self pity washed over the boy wonder. He finally buried his head in his hands, rocking back and forth. He felt the warmth of a human hand over his own skin. He had no parents. He had no life. And now he had failed in his one duty- to save others.

Starfire patted Robin's back. "Robin…? I did not think you knew how to perform the emptying of the tear ducts."

**It may sound absurd…but don't be naive  
Even Heroes have the right to bleed**

Inconquerable guild filled his chest. Did he really appear that heartless?

**  
I may be disturbed…but won't you concede  
Even Heroes have the right to dream  
It's not easy to be me **

"No….." That was all he could utter. The lump in his throat seemed to have locked his jaws as well, as flood after flood of briny tears flooded hot down his cheeks.

**Up, up and away…away from me  
It's all right…You can all sleep sound tonight  
I'm not crazy…or anything… **

"Get away, Starfire. I'm just a killer. I let her die. I let her… Fall…."

His last words were distorted. His tongue felt far too big for his mouth, something hot and slimy and wrong.

**I can't stand to fly  
I'm not that naive  
Men weren't meant to ride  
With clouds between their knees **

Starfire sighed. "Robin, you are not, as you say, a god. Cyborg is only human."

**I'm only a man in a silly red sheet**

"But Cyborg never let anyone die."

**  
Digging for kryptonite on this one way street**

"Robin, do you know of Cyborg's past? He DID let someone die. He let someone fall under mind control- several someones. He will never let himself live it down. He was their leader."

"I'm our leader, Starfire! I can't let anyone down!"**  
**

**Only a man in a funny red sheet**

Starfire sighed, taking him into her arms as a mother would a child and cradling his head to her chest.

"Robin, you must understand. You cannot be God. Nobody can."

Looking for special things inside of me

The beating of her heard stilled the boy wonder's tears. With a final, shaky breath, he moved to hug Starfire, simply to feel the warmth of her skin against his. He couldn't break now. He had to keep on going, if not for his sake then for hers.

**It's not easy to be me. **

"I can try."


End file.
